


Misreading the Signs

by WaffleDogOfficial



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff, Gaara (Naruto)-centric, Gaara is Bad at Feelings (Naruto), M/M, POV Gaara (Naruto), Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26593270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaffleDogOfficial/pseuds/WaffleDogOfficial
Summary: Two years after the 4th Shinobi War, Gaara finally gets a chance to cash in on a promise for a date with Naruto.  If only he actually knew what 'a date' meant.
Relationships: Gaara & Kankurou & Temari, Gaara/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 11
Kudos: 110
Collections: r/NarutoFanfiction Gift Exchange





	Misreading the Signs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Scorpions_Admirer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scorpions_Admirer/gifts).



_“Once you’re Hokage, let’s get a drink together.”_

_Naruto grinned and gave him a thumbs-up and a grunt of agreement before leaping away._

_Something in Gaara’s stomach twisted as he watched Naruto leap away, ready to save the world. He smiled. He would make sure to fulfill that promise. One day._

“Ugh, how much longer are they gonna make us wait?” Kankuro’s whining brought Gaara back to the present and he blinked at his older brother.

“Be patient, Kankuro,” Gaara scolded in a gentle voice. “I’m sure there’s a good reason why they’re making us wait.”

On his other side, Temari huffed. “”There better be,” she muttered.

Despite his own calls for patience, Gaara crossed his arms in front of his chest and let out a sigh.

They had arrived less than an hour earlier to meet with the Sixth Hokage and prepare for the joint chuunin exams. After passing through security, they had been left outside Kakashi's office to wait.

With nothing to do, Gaara’s memory of the promise he had made with Naruto refused to stop running through his mind. Back during the war, his words had been sincere and he was sure Naruto's had been as well.

It had been years since then. Gaara let out another sigh. Their date needed to come soon.

He was shortly jolted out of his brooding when the door at the end of the hall slammed open. As one, Gaara and his siblings turned.

To Gaara’s joy, it was Naruto. He sat up straight, admiring his friend as his lips quirked up into a smile.

In the years after the war, Naruto had grown tall, taller than Gaara, his shoulders strong and broad. His hair was shorter than it used to be, but it still shone gold in the light of the sun. His light blue eyes, expressive as always, fascinated Gaara in a way he could not quite explain.

Naruto’s eyes widened and his surprised expression turned into joy. With a grin on his face, he ran toward where Gaara was sitting with his siblings. Gaara stood to greet him with a smile of his own.

“Gaara! Kankuro! Temari!” Naruto leaped in front of them, bouncing up and down on his heels. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever, ya know!”

Gaara’s smile widened. “I feel the same way.”

Naruto giggled, showing off his perfect teeth. “Anyway, Kakashi-sensei said you guys are staying here for two days, right?”

Gaara nodded. “Until the chuunin exam finals. I will return with Kankuro to Sunagakure after that.”

“I’m... staying with Shikamaru.” Despite her haughty tone, Temari’s face turned red and she turned away to glare at the door. “We... we decided to try and make our relationship work long term.”

“Oh! That’s great! Congrats!” Naruto gave Temari a thumbs up, which only served to remind Gaara of the promise they had made. His heart twinged at the reminder.

“Anyway, you two probably want to catch up right?” Kankuro smirked and shared a conspiratorial glance with Temari. “We’ll go talk to the Hokage first, all right?”

Temari’s eyes widened in some sort of realization and she smiled. “Right! We should!” Temari clapped her hands together. “You two want to be alone for a bit, right?”

“Oh! Uh.... I guess Gaara and I haven’t talked in a while?” Naruto shuffled in place, an embarrassed smile on his lips.

Gaara glanced at his siblings before nodding. “Sure. I would like to talk to Naruto for a bit.”

“See ya, Naruto!” Kankuro gave Naruto a small wave before tapping Temari’s shoulder. “We’re gonna go ahead, all right?”

Gaara nodded. “All right.”

Kankuro gave them one last grin before walking toward the Hokage’s office, Temari at his heels. They entered and closed the door behind them.

“We have not talked much in private, have we, Naruto?” Gaara began once the office door was closed. He smiled up at his friend— his first friend, and, really, his only friend.

“Yeah, we haven’t.” Naruto scratched the back of his neck. “I just have a lot of missions now, ya know.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“I do.”

Silence fell over them but Gaara didn’t mind. He had never been an amazing conversationalist. Still, he was the one to break the silence in the end.

“I’ve been thinking about a promise we made during the Fourth Shinobi War, Naruto,” Gaara confessed.

“A... promise?” Naruto gulped, eyes widening.

Gaara nodded. “I promised that once everything was over and you were Hokage, we would go out for a drink,” he explained. “It’s been over two years since then. I think it’s time we make good on that promise. So why don’t we go on a date together?”

“A d-date?” Naruto spluttered, his face turning pink.

Gaara hummed in affirmation. "Yes, a date. A social engagement between two friends."

“B-but I’m not the Hokage,” Naruto mumbled, scratching his chin and looking down at the ground. “I’m not even sure when Kakashi-sensei will step down, ya know.”

Gaara chuckled, one hand covering his mouth before turning to look up at Naruto. “Do you really need an excuse to have a drink with me, Naruto?”

Naruto looked away, scratching the back of his neck again. “I...” he gulped. “I guess I don’t. Do you... uh... do you want to go somewhere with me tonight?”

Gaara smiled. “I would love to.”

Naruto’s face turned a deeper shade of red and he started to fidget in place. “There’s this bar that Sakura told me was good. Do you wanna go with me?”

Gaara smiled, the sight of a flustered Naruto making his stomach buzz in some strange emotion. “I would be honored to.” Gaara tilted his head to the side, arms crossed. “Where would you like to meet?”

Naruto’s face, if possible, became a deeper shade of red. “H-how about I pick you up from your hotel? You’re staying in the one reserved for foreign visitors and diplomats, aren’t you?”

Gaara nodded. “Yes. At five o’clock? That way we can get dinner first.”

“Dinner!? S-sure. Sounds good.” Naruto, still blushing, looked up and gave Gaara a forced thumbs-up. “I-I’ll pick you up then, ya know!”

Gaara suppressed a chuckle as he looked at his friend. “I’m glad you agree.”

“Y-yeah.” Naruto let out a deep sigh. “I-I’ll see you soon, then?”

“I’ll see you tonight.” Gaara bowed his head down in respect.

“Y-yeah! See ya!” Naruto started to walk away.

“Oh, and Naruto?” Naruto turned back when Gaara spoke. Gaara smiled, his head tilted to the side. “I’m really looking forward to our date tonight."

Naruto’s entire body became red. Without saying anything else, he opened the door at the end of the hall, slamming it closed behind him.

Gaara couldn’t help it. He laughed, one hand over his mouth. With a deep breath in and out to calm himself, he headed toward the Hokage’s office, ready to return to business.

**-O-**

“Why are you so spending so long on my hair, Temari?” Gaara asked. He stared at himself in the mirror, his sister fussing behind him, and frowned.

“Well, if you end up going somewhere fancy, you want to look good!” Temari combed through his hair. “You don’t want to embarrass Naruto on your date by looking shabby, do you?” She put the comb down on the table and used her fingers to muss his hair, making it look tastefully disheveled.

Gaara sighed. After telling his siblings about his date, they had gotten as excited as if they were the ones going out with Naruto. Kankuro had gone through his luggage and taken out the outfit he used on meetings with dignitaries and high-end clients. Meanwhile, Temari had spent her time styling his hair and spritzing him with colognes he didn’t know she had.

Gaara found their concerns unnecessary at best. The only restaurant Naruto seemed to eat at was Ichiraku Ramen and that place had no dress code. He sighed but allowed Temari to do whatever she wanted anyway. If his siblings said it was standard to dress up for a date, then he would listen. They knew a lot more about those kinds of things than he did.

“Oh, wow, Naruto’s here earlier than I thought!” Kankuro interrupted Gaara’s thoughts, pointing out through the window.

“Naruto?” With Temari still holding a comb in one hand, Gaara bolted up and joined Kankuro’s side at the window. “Naruto is already here?”

Sure enough, Naruto was walking toward the entrance of the hotel. From a distance, Gaara could tell he had also dressed more formally than usual. Kankuro and Temari had been right about dressing up for a date with a friend after all.

“Don’t make him wait, Gaara!” Kankuro placed a hand on Gaara’s shoulder and squeezed. “See if you can get a second date out of him!”

“Or many many more dates,” Temari continued, chuckling as she placed the comb inside her bag of toiletries.

Gaara nodded. “I will try. Thank you for your help, Kankuro, Temari.”

Gaara left their hotel room, glancing back one last time to see his grinning siblings. He nodded, a smile on his own lips, before closing the door behind him and heading down to the hotel lobby.

“Gaara!” a cheerful voice called out his name while he was still walking down the stairs.. “You’re here already!”

Gaara followed the sound to find Naruto standing by the reception desk, one hand waving at him, the other shoved into his pocket.

“Naruto!” Gaara greeted his friend with a smile before walking toward him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Naruto grinned in return, his face flushed as he met Gaara’s gaze. Like Temari had warned, Naruto had dressed up for their date.

He wore an orange button-down shirt, the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with dark slacks that looked like they had never been worn before. On his feet were the traditional combat sandals, black in color for the occasion.

In addition to the new clothes, Gaara noticed he had styled his hair. The hitai-ate was gone and his hair had been combed to the side for a disheveled look similar to his own. Gaara thought he smelled a hint of cologne as well.

Gaara stared him up and down, making the other man squirm at the attention. Taken all together, the sight made something in Gaara’s stomach twist with an emotion he couldn’t name.

“I guess it’s true that people dress up for dates after all,” Gaara muttered before glancing up to meet Naruto’s eyes again. “You look nice.”

Naruto’s face, which had been tinted with pink, turned red. “Y-yeah. I told Sakura-chan about the date and she took me shopping,” he confessed. “And then Ino got involved and I basically became their mannequin, ya know!”

Gaara chucked, one hand covering his mouth before answering. “If it makes you feel better, Temari and Kankuro did the same thing. Should we go now? I want to spend the rest of the evening with you.”

Naruto’s face turned, if possible, into a deeper shade of red and he swallowed. “Uh... yeah.” He swallowed again. “What do you want to eat for dinner?”

Gaara shrugged, arms crossed in front of his chest as he started to walk out of the hotel lobby side by side with Naruto. “You like Ichiraku Ramen, right?” he asked. “I don't care where we eat. I’ll be happy as long as I’m with you.”

Naruto coughed, face still bright red for some reason Gaara didn’t understand. Were Gaara’s words embarrassing him? He would have to check with Temari later.

“W-well why don’t we go to the barbecue place?” Naruto suggested, pointing down the street as they stepped outside. “I think it’s better for a d-date than Ichiraku. Chouji always goes there with Ino and Shikamaru.”

Gaara hummed to himself, following Naruto's lead. “If you say so, Naruto. I’m still not sure about how dates work, to be honest. I don’t have much experience in that field.”

“I’m not much better,” Naruto admitted. “I’ve really only been on a few dates with Hinata and I used to ask Sakura out all the time, ya know. But...” he swallowed. “But I guess I realized that there wasn’t a deep emotional connection in the end. I guess...” he cleared his throat, glancing down at the ground. “I guess with you I feel like you really understand me.”

Gaara looked at the man next to him. “I think you’re the person that really understands me the most, too.”

Naruto gaped at him for a few seconds before turning away and staring off into the distance. “You... you really know what to say, Gaara. I’m glad you’re here with me.”

“I’m glad to be with you, too.”

Naruto turned to look back at him, his hands clenched into fists. “It’s gonna get a bit crowded in the streets. D-do you... do you want to hold hands? That way we won’t be separated, ya know.”

Gaara blinked. Was holding hands something people did when they were out on dates? He had always assumed it was only done between romantic couples, children, and family members. But then again, Naruto knew more about how people worked. If there was anyone he could trust other than his siblings, it was Naruto.

“Of course.” Gaara extended a hand out.

Eyes wide, Naruto grabbed onto him. His palm was sweaty and it shook in nervous tension, but it was warm and fit perfectly into Gaara’s own. 

The feel of Naruto's hand in his made Gaara’s heart beat faster for some reason. He vowed to talk to his siblings about it later. Sometimes he thought they understood him better than he understood himself.

Gaara squeezed back and he watched Naruto let out a deep breath, his face returning to its normal color.

“Don’t feel nervous.” Gaara took a step closer until their arms were touching. “I’m already enjoying our time together, Naruto.”

Naruto shuddered as he felt Gaara's breath close to his face. “Thanks, Gaara. I... I wanna make sure you have fun, ya know.”

Gaara nodded. “I’m sure I will. I have more fun with you than I have with anyone else.”

Naruto’s face turned pink again, but he did not look as flustered as before. “Thanks. I have a lot of fun with you, too.”

Naruto swallowed again before starting to ramble about missions and other recent events in his life. Gaara answered with details from his own life. Their conversation was almost forced until Gaara brought up the new greenhouses in Sunagakure.

Naruto’s eyes lit up at his words and together they talked about gardening and horticulture. It turned out that Naruto had a strong interest in watering and taking care of plants. He had a small garden in his apartment’s balcony where he grew a variety of herbs and ornamentals. It paled in size compared to the greenhouses in Sunagakure, but hearing about it made Gaara happy. Seeing their shared interest, the conversation became easier and the words flowed. They spent ten minutes discussing the use of organic pesticides in gardening.

They left the barbecue restaurant holding hands and headed toward the bar. That time, it was easier to ignore the strange sensation in Gaara's stomach.

As they entered the bar, Gaara could see why it was popular from first glance. It was clean and there seemed to be a decent selection of alcohols behind the bar. The patrons were well-dressed as they wandered and socialized throughout the room. Upbeat music played in the background for an energetic atmosphere.

“Sakura-chan told me about this place.” Pulling Gaara’s hand, Naruto headed toward the bar. “She said that they have a good selection, whatever that means. And they have games you can borrow if you want to play.”

“Games?”

Naruto nodded. “Yeah, to get people to stay longer and buy more drinks, I guess.”

“Ah.”

“Honestly, I was kinda surprised when you asked me out of a d-date, ya know,” Naruto confessed. “I never knew you had those kinds of feelings for me. I thought I was the only one that felt like that so I never said anything.”

Gaara sat at the stool next to him. “Why is that?”

Naruto turned to look at him, a perplexed frown on his face. “Well, I never knew you wanted to date me.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to date you?” Gaara was starting to think he was missing something.

Naruto blinked at him, his frown deepening. “Well, it’s just—” But before Naruto could say more, the bartender arrived to take their order.

With both of them unfamiliar with alcohol, they ended up ordering the bartender’s recommendation— a bottle of sake from Iwagakure. Distracted, Naruto forgot about his original question and their conversation returned to gardening and horticulture.

“Hey, do you wanna play a game?” Naruto leaned forward, elbows on the counter. He looked at Gaara with a smile that made something in Gaara’s stomach buzz with excitement. “A drinking game, maybe?”

“A drinking game?” Gaara took a sip from his sake. “What is a drinking game?”

Naruto shrugged. “A kind of game with made up rules for how to drink. Last time I went to a bar with the guys, we ended up playing Never Have I Ever.” He shuddered when the explanation brought back unwelcome memories. “I learned way more about what Shikamaru and Temari do in their alone time than I ever wanted to know.”

Gaara shuddered. “I can only imagine. And I have to live with her.”

Naruto chuckled before his expression turned serious, a hint of fear in his eyes. “But she said she’s staying in Konoha to give their relationship a chance, right? Would she—” he swallowed. “Would she leave Suna if they decided to get together for good?”

Gaara nodded. “I think she would have to. Although we would try to travel between our two villages often to keep in touch. There are many ways to maintain contact despite long distances.”

The fear in Naruto’s eyes diminished. “So if we started, like, d-dating, we could still make it work? Even if I’m Hokage?”

“Why wouldn’t it be possible?” Gaara asked, tilting his head to the side. “Traveling between our villages is easier now. We might not be able to meet very often, but it’s possible. And with e-mails, letters, and summons, we can stay in touch even when we’re not together.”

Naruto blushed, his hands clenched into fists. “Y-yeah, I guess that’s true.” He gulped. “I... I want to spend more time with you, Gaara.”

“As do I.”

“C-Can...” Naruto took a deep breath in and out, seeming to be steeling himself for something. “Can I kiss you right now, Gaara?”

Gaara’s world froze and he felt his jaw drop in surprise. 

Why did Naruto want to kiss him? Was that something people did on dates? Temari would have warned him about it, right? Weren’t romantic partners the only ones that kissed each other? At least on the mouth?

Gaara crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at his friend with a frown. “Kiss me? Why do you want to kiss me?”

Naruto stared at Gaara as if he was the one that wasn’t making any sense. “Well... we’re on a date, right?”

Gaara nodded.

“And we want to go on more dates.”

Gaara nodded again.

“And we have strong feelings for each other that are unique to us.”

“That is correct.”

“And you like me and I like you.”

“Of course.”

Naruto only looked more perplexed as Gaara answered. “So why wouldn’t I want to kiss you?”

“Well, we’re not romantic partners, Naruto. We’re just friends.”

Something in Naruto’s expression shattered at his words and a ball of guilt settled into Gaara’s stomach.

“Oh... I see.” Gaara swore he saw Naruto’s eyes misting over. “So it’s a misunderstanding then. You don’t have those kinds of feelings for me.” He stood up and dug into his pocket for money. “I guess I’ll see you around then.”

“W-wait!” Before Naruto could leave, Gaara grabbed the crook of his elbow.

Naruto paused, avoiding Gaara’s gaze. “What is it? You don’t like me the same way I like you, do you? Let’s just... forget about this, ya know.”

“No, it’s just...” Gaara bit his lip. Why was it that a kiss with Naruto didn’t sound bad at all? “I just... don’t understand a lot about... a lot of things. I thought a date was a meeting between friends.”

Naruto shook his head. “Well, yeah, but... it’s also for people who want... more than just friendship, ya know.”

Gaara felt his face warm up. He had been an idiot. “I’m sorry, Naruto.”

Naruto flinched at his apology, still looking away. “Well, whatever. I’ll just have to get over it. Let’s forget this whole night ever happened.” He brushed Gaara off and began to walk away.

But before Naruto had taken more than a single step, a wall of sand stood in front of him, blocking his exit. Annoyed, Naruto turned to glare at him. “I said let’s forget this whole date ever happened!” he raised his voice in anger that didn’t seem directed at Gaara. “I have romantic feelings for you and you don’t. I’ll get over it eventually.”

A few of the patrons turned to watch their argument but they ignored them.

“Naruto...” Gaara stood up and moved to stand in front of Naruto. Naruto turned his face to glare at the wall. “Naruto, would you look at me, please?”

Reluctantly, Naruto turned to meet his gaze. “What is it, Gaara?” From close up, Gaara could see his eyes were indeed misty with heartbroken tears.

Gaara gulped, angry at himself for causing that expression. “I... I was just surprised when you asked me to kiss you,” he confessed. “But...” he swallowed again, feeling his face heat up. “But I never said no.”

Naruto froze and he turned to look at Gaara again. “Y-you what?”

Gaara clenched a hand over his heart. “Are the feelings I have for you romantic, Naruto? Is that why I want to spend time with you? And why it hurts to see you downcast?” He looked up to meet Naruto’s eyes. “Is that why... now that you’re in front of me, the only thing I want is for you to stay?”

Naruto’s face turned red and he began to splutter. “Y-you want me to stay? Even after everything?”

Gaara hummed in affirmation. “I want you to kiss me. I... want to know what it’s like.

“Y-you do?”

Gaara nodded. “I do.”

Hesitantly, Naruto took a step forward until they stood in front of each other, the sand disappearing back into Gaara’s gourd. With a deep breath in and out to fortify himself, Naruto lifted his hands to cup Gaara’s face. While his courage was still there, he bent his head forward.

It was... warm. That was Gaara’s original impression when their lips met for the first time. It was warm like the winter sun. It was soft like the petals on a flower. It felt good in a way that he couldn’t quite describe.

Gaara wrapped his arms around Naruto’s neck and deepened their kiss.


End file.
